This invention relates to an improved dryer apparatus and more particularly to a dryer device especially adapted to dry the interior and exterior passages of a radiator or heater core.
There are numerous radiator or heater cores associated with vehicle engines. A principal radiator is associated with the engine cooling system. Additional radiators may be associated with an automatic transmission or other hydraulic and liquid systems for a vehicle. From time to time, radiators require repair, cleaning or replacement, since, for example, tiny holes in the radiator tubes may impair the utility of the radiator. Quite often, it is economically desirable to repair the radiator rather than to replace it.
Repair necessitates cleaning and flushing of the radiator followed by soldering or welding of leaks. Prior to repair of leaks, however, the leaks must be located. To efficiently locate leaks, it has been found necessary to dry the internal radiator tubes and the external surface of the radiator before testing for leaks.
Various apparatus have been devised to clean and dry the radiator and expose leaks in the radiator. In the past, applicant's assignee has made radiator leak exposers and dryers including Inland Manufacturing Company Leak Exposer and Dryer Model No. 17 and Model No. 20. Typically, such dryer devices include a blower for directing air at or toward a radiator. A separate connection to the blower is provided so that air may be directed through the interior passages and channels or tubes forming the radiator.
After cleaning and drying the radiator, the usual method for locating leaks is to cap the radiator openings and force air into it while it is submerged under water. However, if the radiator tubes are wet on the inside, tiny droplets of water will coact to provide a surface tension effect which plugs tiny holes in the radiator. Thus, the fluid within the radiator may provide an effective seal preventing discovery of a leak.
To overcome this problem, it has been found advisable to dry the interior of the radiator prior to testing. The leak exposers of applicant's assignee discussed above provide such hot air to the interior of radiator tubes. Nonetheless, the prior art leak exposers do not quickly dry the interior of the radiator tubes. The present invention is an improved device for simultaneously and quickly drying both the interior tubes and exterior of a radiator.